Friend
by Jasmin Liertha
Summary: Years after, everyone had changed. But Aang was still the same childish idiot that brought light to Zuko's world. Platonic Zukaang friendship. Idiom prompt.


_Idiom prompt: at the drop of a hat - to be very eager to do something._

* * *

When Zuko visited Aang's room in hopes of commiserating on stuck-up diplomats and their lack of lives over good wine, he was not expecting this.

A blink, and then another, but Aang was still there, drenched in a muddy, black substance and was still dripping said substance onto the dark hardwood flooring of the Avatar's bedroom. "…Aang?"

"Um," the young man—and wasn't that such a strange thought; Aang was even almost to Zuko's height now—offered, a sheepish grin on his face. "Sorry?"

"I believe it would be better if I knew what you're sorry for," Zuko said dryly, observing the same black mud splattered on almost every surface in the room. "As in, what were you _doing_?"

"Testing." Grin turning impish, Aang shrugged. "A guy I met gave me this bunch of leaves and told me they could explode. It sounded really fun."

_Figures_. Aang _would _do such ridiculous things in the name of adventure and exploration at the drop of a hat. _Only him._ Zuko shook his head with a sigh. "Did you, perhaps, consider that it might have been a bad idea to test an explosive substance with unknown properties inside your _room_?"

Aang blinked and glanced about the room, as if only realizing what a disaster he had created out of his room. Then he shrugged, brightening with childish glee that peeled off layers of weary age and made him look so much younger than his twenty years. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

_Yes, _Zuko reflected, _definitely impulsive._

The mess would certainly be a pain to clean up. _I hope Biyu won't be too displeased_, he thought absently. The head of the maids was an endearing woman, but she had a vexing knack at making him feel as if he was six again, caught red-handed sneaking black-apple tarts out of the kitchen, with just a _look_.

In other words, she was one scary old woman.

He sighed again, rueful amusement in his voice as he said, "I suppose I should've expected this. You can only hold back for so long before your internal child comes bursting through."

Aang shot him a mock-offended look. "My child self isn't internal. I'm _very_ youthful." A pause, and then a twinkle in gray eyes. "Unlike you."

"Of course." He rolled his eyes, taut shoulders relaxing with the familiar, casual bickering. "Mock the older guy. Sure. Once your bones get creaky, I'll be the one to laugh at you."

Lacing his arms behind his head with not a care that he was getting more of the black mud on him, Aang laughed. "Nope. You're older than me, so you're going to get creaky bones first."

"So sure of that, aren't you?"

"Yep."

Zuko let out a quiet snort, edging around splotches of black mud to the closet which was miraculously unscathed. He pulled out a towel and threw it at Aang. "Towel yourself before you go shower. I'm not letting you make a mess out of the bathroom." Biyu would kill him if there was _more _mess to clean up. That or she would delegate the tea-making task to someone else when Zuko desperately needed the calming effect her tea had to stave off headaches born from one too many complaints and arguments from ministries and the common folk alike.

Snickering, Aang began the tedious process of ridding himself of the black sludge. "Sure, Sifu Hotman."

He scoffed at the old nickname, rolling his eyes yet again and wondering how on earth such a childish idiot could also be the wise man he knew Aang to be. Then again, it was this same childish idiot that brought light to Zuko when the world was dull and dreary and tiring with the same routine repeating over and over again.

He leaned against the closet, chest feeling much lighter than hours ago, squabbling with Aang about the merits of undertaking risky experiments.

It was good to have a friend.

A/N: Yes, Zuko is indeed calling the kettle black with that impulsive comment. And no, I don't know how leaves can turn into goo. It's magic.

I'm not quite satisfied with Aang. I don't think I got him right. I just realized I have no idea how I should portray him besides a general idea of 'happy'. I apologize if he's out of character; I've never watched Avatar before, and I tend to stick to Zuko-centric fanfics.


End file.
